Search for missing Tennessee hiker narrowed

Geraldine Largay in the black jacket the Maine Warden Service says she would have been wearing last week. The photo was taken Saturday, July 20 in Sandy River Plantation at the intersection of Route 4.

AUGUSTA, Maine — Efforts to find a missing Tennessee hiker will continue throughout Monday, according to officials.

Approximately 30 searchers will be on the lookout for 66-year-old Geraldine Largay, Cpl. John MacDonald of the Maine Warden Service said.

Early Monday, high-probability search areas covered eight miles of the Appalachian Trail, starting a half-mile south of the Caribou Valley Road extending north to Route 27 near Rangeley.

Later in the day, MacDonald said it’s highly likely Largay could be in the area of a nine-mile section of the Appalachian Trail between Lone Mountain and the Caribou Valley Road intersection.

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Due to cloudy conditions with possible thunderstorms Monday afternoon, MacDonald said its unlikely aircrafts will be used.

The search team includes game wardens, U.S. Border Patrol agents, the Maine Forest Service and the Mahoosuc SAR, MacDonald said.

Largay was last seen on July 21 on Route 4 near Rangeley in Sandy River Plantation. She is 5-foot-5, 115 pounds, has brown hair, brown eyes and was wearing a black pullover shirt, tan pants and a blue hat while carrying a black and green backpack.

Game wardens have focused their search efforts on the Appalachian Trail north of the Spaulding Lean-To in Mount Abram Township to the Route 27 crossing in Wyman Township, while a command post has been established at Sugarloaf resort.

Largay’s Appalachian Trail hike started in April in West Virginia, with a destination of Baxter State Park. MacDonald has said she has had no previous issues on the hike and Largay is a prepared, experienced hiker.

She had planned to meet her husband, George, on July 22 in Wyman Township, and she sent him a message at 7:15 a.m. that day but never arrived at their meeting place.

On Wednesday, a Stratton Motel employee received a call from a southbound female hiker stating she had spent the previous night with Largay at the Spaulding Lean-To.

Anyone with information regarding Largay or the unknown female hiker who called the Stratton Motel is asked to call Augusta Public Safety Dispatch at 1-800-452-4664.

CORRECTION:

An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed that Largay was last seen on July 2, planned to meet her husband on July 3, and the police search would go Caribou Valley Road extending south. Largay was last seen on July 21 and planned to meet her husband July 22, the police search would go Caribou Valley Road extending north.